The Ultimate Glass Cliff: Is The Diversity and Inclusion Director Role a Trap?

Published in Forbes.com on Jan 19, 2021

Many companies are scurrying to locate and fill key leadership positions. Of course, the first key hire in jumpstarting this process is the hiring of a director of diversity and inclusion (D&I). Without it, they hold a gigantic disadvantage in the competition to hire talent — diverse or otherwise.

Given its strategic importance, this director role becomes akin to a spot in the C-suite. But might this become a huge trap, much like a “glass cliff”?

Wait—glass cliff? Michelle K. Ryan and S. Alexander Haslam coined the term to explain how women are more likely to occupy positions that are precarious and thus have a higher risk of failure — either because they are appointed to lead organizations that are in crisis or because they are not given the resources and support needed for success.

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